Articulated puller arm

ABSTRACT

A puller arm for a wire drawing bull block which travels in a longitudinal slot in the block surface has a drawing position projecting outwardly from the surface of the block. After a bundle of wire is drawn, the arm is manually pushed to the end of the slot, rotated 90* and pivoted below the surface of the block to facilitate stripping.

11] 3,765,617 [451 Oct. 16,1973

United States Patent [191 Laughlin ARTICULATEDPULLERARM 2,357,065 8/1944 242/78 [75] Inventor: Arvine Eiaughnmwaukegamm 1,583,380 5/1926 Williams...........................242/78X [73] Assignee: United States Steel Corporation, primary Examine, (3eorge Mautz Assistant Examiner-Edward J. McCarthy Attorney-Rea C. Helm Pittsburgh, Pa.

Apr. 5, 1972 [22] Filed:

[57] ABSTRACT A puller arm for a wire drawing bull block which travels in a longitudinal slot in the block surface has a 21 Appl. No.: 241,264

drawing position projecting outwardly from the surface of the block. After a bundle of wire is drawn, the

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arm is manually pushed to the end of the slot, rotated 90 and pivoted below the surface of the block to facilitate stripping.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1943 2,334,601 Bruestle............................,... 242/79 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures ARTICULATED PULLER ARM This invention relates to an improved puller arm on the block of a wire drawing machine and more particularly to an articulated puller arm which facilitates removal of coarse gage heavy weight wire bundles from a wire drawing bull block.

A heavy duty bull block for drawing coarse wire usually includes a vise or gripping mechanism attached to the block by a short length of chain connected to a puller arm which moves along a longitudinal slot in the block. The starting end of a bundle of rod or wire is usually tapered sufficiently to be threaded partially through the drawing die. The vise or gripping mechanism is then clamped on the tapered starting end which has been threaded through the die and by rotating the block, the rod or wire is pulled through the die, winding up the drawn material on the block. When the last end of the rod or wire has passed through the die, tension in the drawn wire on the block is released and the wire unwinds on the block until all tension is released resulting in a bundle with a diameter larger than the block diameter. The starting end is then released from the gripping mechanism, the puller arm with the gripper attached to it by the chain is detached from the block and the bundle of wire removed from the block. On a horizontal spindle block, there is usually sufficient space between the block and the expanded bundle to insert a hoist mounted C hook between the bundle and the side of the block to remove the bundle from the block.

With a conventional block diameter and a normal bundle weight of for example, 600 pounds, the drawn bundle unwinds and expands sufficient to be readily removed or stripped from the block. However, when heavier weight bundles are drawn, as for example, 1,000 pounds or more, the unwinding that occurs when the last end passes through the die may not be sufficient to permit easy removal from the block. When bundles are large, there is even some additional release of tension when the wire is released from the gripper. Even this additional release of tension may not be sufficient to expand the diameter of the bundle enough for convenient removal of the bundle over a puller arm. This problem may be further aggravated when drawing low carbon steel which does not expand as much as high carbon steel'when tension is released.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a puller arm to which the vise or gripper is attached and which remains in a fixed position projecting outwardly from the block during the drawing operation. When the bundle is drawn and has unwound, the block rotation is stopped with the puller arm in approximately its uppermost position. The starting end of the wire is released from the gripper, and the puller arm, with chain and gripper attached, is rotated 90 and then swiveled downwardly over the end of the block so that the bundle may be readily removed from the block. This permits the use of a fixed retainer projection located at about l80 from the puller arm along the circumference of the block when drawing large bundles of low carbon rods because, in the stripping position, the puller arm does not project outwardly beyond the block surface, and the expanded bundle need only clear the retainer projection for stripping.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a puller arm for a wire drawing bull block that is locked in a position projecting from the surface of the block for pulling wire and may be readily moved out of the way for removing wire from the block.

Another object is to provide a puller arm which has sufficient strength to pull heavy gage wire.

A further object is to provide a puller arm that permits the use of a fixed opposing retainer projection on the block.

A still further object is to provide a puller arm that facilitates the stripping of heavy weight coarse gage low carbon steel wire bundles.

Still another object is to provide a puller arm that does not need to be detached from the block when stripping material from the block.

These and other objects will become more apparent after referring to the following specification and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of those parts of a wire drawing bull block necessary to illustrate the invention showing the relation of the parts after a portion of a bundle has been drawn;

FIG. 2 is a partical side elevational view, partly broken away, of the end of the block with the puller arm in its winding position and its stripping position with part of a bundle partially stripped;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the block partly broken away to show the parts with the puller arm in its winding position; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded isometric view of the puller arm components.

Referring now to FIG. 1, reference numeral 2 refers to a wire drawing die block holding a wire drawing die in a wire drawing machine, such as a bull block, not shown. Wire W is pulled through the die by rotation of a block 4. The starting end 6 of a rod or wire is pointed or tapered sufficient to partially thread through the die in block 4 and a gripper 8 is clamped over the projecting pointed starting end 6. Gripper 8 is attached by a short length of chain shown broken at 10 to a puller arm 12 adapted to move along a longitudinal slot 14 towards the stripping end 16 of block 4 as rotation of block 4 builds up wire W, as shown at 18, on block 4. A retainer projection 20 is located about from puller arm 12 around the circumference of block 4. Retainer projection 20 and puller arm 12 move together and are connected by a C member 22 which travels along the length of the block guided by a slide pin 24 which passes through member 22. Projection 20 moves along longitudinal slot 26 in block 4. This is a conventional heavy duty wire drawing bull block.

The preferred embodiment of the articulated puller arm of my invention has a head member shown generally at 28, FIG. 4. Head member 28 has a pair of projecting curved arms 30 spaced apart so that C member 22 will fit between the arms and the head member 28 may be securely fastened thereto, such as for example, by welding as at 32. Head member 28 has a block member 34 with a cylindrical opening 36. A circular recess 38, concentric with opening 36, is provided at the bottom or inside end of cylindrical opening 36. A slot 40 parallel to the axis of cylindrical opening 36 is provided throughout the length of block member 34 between face 42 of block member 34 which faces stripping end 16 and cylindrical opening 36.

A swivel 44 has two partial cylindrical sections 46 projecting from a circular plate member 48. Swivel 44 is adapted to loosely swivel inside cylindrical opening 36 with plate member 48 fitting in recess 38. The spacing 50 between sections 46 is approximately the same as the width of slot 40. When swivel 44 is assembled in block member 34, a cover plate 52, attached to block member 34 by four cover plate retaining screws 54, holds swivel 44 in place. A pivot pin hole 56 in each section 46 accommodates a pivot pin 58, which when in place, does not project beyond the cylindrical surfaces of projections 46. Pivot pin 58 has a centrally located flat portion 60.

A puller arm 62 has one end with a curved edge section 64 having a radius of curvature essentially the same as the curvature of cylindrical sections 46, of swivel 44 and cylindrical opening 36 in block member 34. A hole 66, accommodating pivot pin 58, is located in the end of arm 62 having the curved edge section 64. The end of arm 62 having the curved edge section 64 is generally rounded. A tapped hole 68 is provided in the end of arm 62 to accommodate a pivot pin retaining screw 70, which bottoms on the flat portion 60 of pivot pin 58. The other end of arm 62 has a hole 72 to accommodate a pin 74 for a shackle 76. Shackle 76 is connected to chain 78, only one link of which is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. A gripper 8 is connected to the other end of chain 78. The thickness of at least that portion of arm 62 having curved edge section 64 is approximately the width of slot 40 and opening 50.

The articulated arm is assembled with arm 62 attached to to swivel 44 by pivot pin 58. Pin 58 is held in place by retaining screw 70. Swivel 44 with arm 62 attached as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is positioned inside cylindrical opening 36 and held in position by cover plate 52. A face 80, FIG. 4, of block member 34, that face of block member 34 which is next to die block 2 in the starting position, rests against a slot wear bar 82 held in place by retaining screws 84 in bracket 86 and moves along 82 during the drawing operation.

In operation, block 4 is rotated until slot 14 is approximately in the uppermost position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Arm 62 is pivoted upward around pin 58 to approximately a vertical position and rotated so that the axis of pin 58 is generally parallel to the axis of rotation of block 4. In this position C member 22 including retainer projection is manually pushed along slide pin 24 to the starting position on block 4 where arm 62 is in approximate alignment with die box 2 to wind wire W on block 4 at approximately right angles to the axis of rotation of block 4. Shackle 76 and chain 78 are then in position as shown by reference numeral 88 in FIG. 3.

Gripper jaws 8 are clamped over the tapered and pointed end 6 of wire W and block 4 rotated pulling the wire or rod through the die in die block 2. Shackle 76 and chain 78 then assume the position shown by reference numeral 90 in FIG. 3. Arm 62 is locked in a position at approximately right angles to the axis of rotation of block 4. As block 4 rotates, wire builds up on block 4 as shown in FIG. 1 pushing arm 62 and retainer 20 towards stripping end 16 of block 4 along guide grooves 14 adn 24, respectively. Pin 24 holds C member 22 in place so that the puller arm 62 and retainer 20 slide evenly without binding while retaining the drawn wire.

When the last end of the bundle has been pulled through the die in die box 2, the bundle is allowed to unwind. The rotation of block 4 is then stopped with arm 62 preferably in approximately a vertical position as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. Gripper jaws 8 are then released from starting end 6 of the bundle and if the bundle is heavy, there may be additional unwinding of the bundle from starting end 6.

When all the tension in the bundle has been released by unwinding of both ends, and the bundle has assumed its new expanded diameter, arm 62 is manually pushed to stripping end 16 of block 4 provided the bundle of wire W has not already pushed arm 62 to that position. Arm 62 is then rotated from position 92 shown in FIG. 2. For clarity shackle 76 and chain 78 is not shown in this position. In this position the axis of pivot pin 58 is approximately at right angles to the axis of rotation of block 4. Arm 62 may now be pivoted around pivot pin 58 downward into slot 40 of block member 34 as shown by reference numeral 94 in FIG. 2. Shackle 76, chain 78 and gripper 8 then dangle from the end of arm 62 as partially shown by the broken lines in FIG. 2. The bundle of wire W may then be stripped from block 4 by any convenient method, such as the use of a hoist and a C hook inserted along the side of the bundle between block 4 and the bundle or by sliding of the bundle of rods over the end of the block and over an unloading horn. Whatever method is used, the length of retainer 20 which projects outwardly beyond the surface of block 4 should be long enough to retain the wire during drawing and short enough so that the expanded bundle may slide freely past projection 20 when stripping the bundle from block 4.

After the bundle is removed, arm 62 is pivoted upright around pin 58, rotated 90 in swivel 44 and manually pushed the length of the block in position to draw the next bundle. In this position, arm 62 is locked in position and will not fall as the wire pushes the arm 62 along block 4.

The articulated puller arm 62 provides a quick latch that allows arm 62 to be locked in position for drawing wire and to be moved out of the way for stripping block 4 and yet is strong enough to pull heavy gage wire through a die in die box 2. The articulated puller arm is less hazardous to use than a conventional puller arm and does not require removal from the block for each bundle.

While my invention has been described for use with a bull block having a block with a horizontal axis of rotation, the articulated arm 62 may also be used with a block having a vertical axis of rotation and in which the drawn wire is built up from the bottom of the block towards the top of the block. Retainer projection 20 would not be used and pin 24 may be in any convenient location near head member 28. Arm 62 is then pivoted into the top of the block and the bundle may be removed by a conventional collapsible wire drawing strapper basket or other means.

Retainer projection 20 is shown as part of C member 22 in the preferred embodiment of my invention, but is not required as part of my invention. It may be omitted if desired. Shackle 76 is shown connected to arm 62, permanently connecting chain 78 to arm 62, which, because of the spacing shown, requires arm 62 to be pivoted downward over stripping end 16 of block 4 to obtain maximum clearance for stripping. However, if shackle 76 is replaced by a hook adapted to engage, and to be easily removed from, hole 72, gripper 8 and chain 78 may be removed from puller arm 62 at the end of drawing a bundle and arm 62 may then nest in slot 14 at any convenient location along block 4 for stripping. After stripping, arm 62 is pivoted upward, rotated 90 and chain 78 hooked onto arm 62 for the next bundle. Where bundle expansion is not sufficient, retainer projection may be linked to arm 62 so that when arm 62 is pivoted downward, projection 20 retracts to a position projecting inwardly from the surface of the block.

The articulated puller arm may also be used on different materials, such as tubing, and for different operations other than drawing, such as roll forming, or any other form of winding or coiling operation on a drum or block where the puller mechanism must be moved out of the way to remove the product from the drum.

While chain 78 is the conventional means for connecting gripper 8 to the arm 62, other means, such as an arm with an integral gripping device or a single connecting link, may be used.

I claim:

1. A puller arm mounted for movement along a longitudinal slot in the surface of a drum for winding elongated material comprising means mounted inside said drum and connected to said arm for maintaining said arm in a winding position projecting outwardly from said drum when said arm is in position for pulling said material for winding on said drum and means mounted inside said drum and connected to said arm for placing said arm in a stripping position projecting inwardly from the surface of said drum and an extension of said surface beyond an end of said drum when said arm is in position for stripping said material from said drum.

2. A puller arm according to claim 1 in which the means for maintaining said arm in a winding position includes a block member adapted to move longitudinally in said slot and having a cylindrical passageway therethrough with its axis generally perpendicular to said surface and in which said arm has the edges at one end of said arm rounded to the same general curvature as the cylindrical passageway whereby when said one end of the arm is inserted into said passageway said curved edges bearing on the passageway walls maintains said arm in a fixed axial relationship with said passageway.

3. A puller arm according to claim 2 in which the means for placing said arm in a stripping position includes a swivel adapted to fit inside said passageway and having a lateral slot therethrough and pivot means connecting said one end of said arm to said swivel in said lateral slot and in which said block member has an opening generally parallel to said passageway between said passageway and a side of said block member generally at right angles to said longitudinal slot whereby said arm and swivel may be rotated in said passageway from said winding position to said stripping position and said arm may be pivoted into said opening.

4. A puller arm according to claim 3 which includes means connected to said swivel and said block member for retaining said swivel in said passageway.

5. A puller arm according to claim 3 which includes means for gripping the end of the material attached to the other end of said arm, whereby when said block member is at the stripping end of said drum, said other end of the arm and said means for gripping extend beyond the end of said drum. 

1. A puller arm mounted for movement along a longitudinal slot in the surface of a drum for winding elongated material comprising means mounted inside said drum and connected to said arm for maintaining said arm in a winding position projecting outwardly from said drum when said arm is in position for pulling said material for winding on said drum and means mounted inside said drum and connected to said arm for placing said arm in a stripping position projecting inwardly from the surface of said drum and an extension of said surface beyond an eNd of said drum when said arm is in position for stripping said material from said drum.
 2. A puller arm according to claim 1 in which the means for maintaining said arm in a winding position includes a block member adapted to move longitudinally in said slot and having a cylindrical passageway therethrough with its axis generally perpendicular to said surface and in which said arm has the edges at one end of said arm rounded to the same general curvature as the cylindrical passageway whereby when said one end of the arm is inserted into said passageway said curved edges bearing on the passageway walls maintains said arm in a fixed axial relationship with said passageway.
 3. A puller arm according to claim 2 in which the means for placing said arm in a stripping position includes a swivel adapted to fit inside said passageway and having a lateral slot therethrough and pivot means connecting said one end of said arm to said swivel in said lateral slot and in which said block member has an opening generally parallel to said passageway between said passageway and a side of said block member generally at right angles to said longitudinal slot whereby said arm and swivel may be rotated in said passageway from said winding position to said stripping position and said arm may be pivoted into said opening.
 4. A puller arm according to claim 3 which includes means connected to said swivel and said block member for retaining said swivel in said passageway.
 5. A puller arm according to claim 3 which includes means for gripping the end of the material attached to the other end of said arm, whereby when said block member is at the stripping end of said drum, said other end of the arm and said means for gripping extend beyond the end of said drum. 